Halo: The Official Novels of the Award-Winning Xbox Game

by Eric S. Nylund and William C. Dietz

Book Overview

The official novels of the award-winning Xbox game! This set contains The Fall of Reach , First Strike , and The Flood -- the complete chronicles of the bloody Human-Covenant War on Halo. The Fall of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345473043
• ISBN13: 9780345473042
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 3.0" x 4.4" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Books flesh out the details of the amazing "Halo" series

At first, I was hesitant to pick these titles up for the simple fact that, while I am a "gamer," I'm not real big on sci-fi reading. I also feared that these books might add up to little more than fodder to lure more money out of the pockets of die-hard "Halo" fans by pandering to the already fanatical following the game has produced. And I was wrong. Halo's story successfully crosses the media lines in three amazing books that actually enriched my appreciation of the games. I used to like the fact that the Master Chief was that quintessential tough guy: mysterious and unbeatable, eternally resourceful and cool-headed, cold and battle-hardened. And, if you've played the games, then you know the gimmick: you never see his face. Well, these books unmask our beloved Spartan 117, literally and figuratively. Initially, I was a little jaded that these authors took it upon themselves to encroach upon the intergalactic man-of-mystery, but it wasn't long before I warmed up to learning his history and fighting his battles from a third-person perspective that's actually more "first-person" than even the game can offer. I learned to appreciate the depth of the human inside the helmet. I also enjoyed learning about the other Spartans and the tight fraternal bonds they forge with each other: bred and trained for battle, loyalty and duty, though essentially ostracized, feared and misunderstood by their "normal" human counterparts; there are several points when it's said that the other marines see the Spartans as being as alien as the alien race their fighting against. Most interesting, however, are the stories you get that the games never touch upon. There's many story-lines and characters introduced here that the games don't even mention, for obvious reasons- primarily because the games came out first. The first book takes place before (and sets up) the first game; the second book is pretty much the first game verbatim, from beginning to end, and the third is the detailing of events between the end of the first game and beginning of the second, Halo 2. In a lot of ways, it seems as if this console-to-page transition is similar to the efforts made a couple years back with the Matrix titles. In order to get the whole Matrix story, aside from the three films, one had to play a Matrix video game, watch a direct to DVD title and read Matrix books, all of which acted as vital arcs in the circle of events throughout the saga. Halo's last book, "First Strike" introduces a lot of loose ends that are left to dangle even throughout the second game. And we thought Halo 2's cliff-hanger ending couldn't get any worse! Now, I'm positively chompin' at the bit with anticipation of Halo 3. I'd say these titles work on a number of levels. Most importantly, I believe that the success of these games and books somehow asserts and validates gaming as a rapidly growing and infections new form of entertainment capable of holding its own next to blockbusting movies and New York Times

Didn't Disappoint. Definately Recommended!

Having experienced HALO: Combat Evolved and studying up a bit on the backstory I decided to risk a few bucks on these novels based on what previous reviewers have said. What did I think? Well, as a very picky and details oriented fan of military fiction and sci-fi I was pleasantly surprised and very entertained by these novels. The space combat scenes in The Fall of Reach and First Strike are simply fantastic. The action is believeable and creative. The technology imployed, whether Human, Covenant or other never seems too far-fetched. The Flood is a bit of a change of pace, as I had expected from reading other reviews, but it was no less entertaining or fun and intriguing. Also, the human stories are fascinating. While only a few characters are really developed in-depth they are dynamic in ways that the games could never get across. I personally found myself captivated by Jacob Keyes, Cortana, and especially everyone's favorite cyborg: John, Spartan 117. All in all this is a great series of novels and they add a wondrous wealth of knowledge and depth to the HALO universe. It's what I wish more military sci-fi stories could be. If you're not yet a fan of HALO, but you like military sci-fi then this is a great place to test the waters of the HALO universe. If you're already a fan and haven't read these books you're cheating yourself. These authors and the people at Bungie studios have created a tale full of adventure, mystery and a good share of hidden treasures. Revelation (John) 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not; I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."

fantastic storyline.. highly addictive reading ..... the orgin of master chief

i just got these 3 books yesterday...and i had time to sit down and read all three of them in a single day its a page turner for sure..highly addictive reading...these books flesh out all the backstory on the master chief and the spartins...yes he was one of a group of super soldiers :)..these books also tell us about the war with the covenant and how it came to start and what the covenant is actually looking for on the planet halo.... if your a sci fi reader or just like a good story loaded with action grab these books..oh and the box set is great for desktop display...cant wait to the halo movie that is going into production.. cheers

Great!

I thought that since this book was based on a video game, it would just be a little flick to make a little mula, but Eric Nylund is a greater writer and keeps you guessing wwith the Halo series!

Best Sci Fi/Military book

As a member of the US military, it is hard to find fictional military stories that combine sci-fi and a good solid storyline. These are the kind of books that I have been searching for. Worth the time to read and the money to buy.